1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic camera, and in particular to an electronic camera, an information device and a portable information apparatus designed to take private information of a user into consideration.
2. Description of the Related Art
One recent application of a digital camera (electronic camera) is for general users to deliver and circulate a photographed image among many persons. This is in view of the fact that an image obtained by an electronic camera can be checked on the monitor of the same camera.
In such a situation, however, an image other than those the user wants to circulate among other persons may be contained in the same camera, and may be undesirably viewed by other persons operating the camera in circulation.
In recent years, a camera into which the voice can be input has been available on the market. Although the image information is not exposed to other than the persons watching the monitor screen, the voice, if reproduced at the same time, like the ringing bell of the portable telephone sounding in the train or the like, troubles a multiplicity of unspecified persons and the telephone user may feel ashamed by the exposure of private information.
As described above, the same camera may contain both the information desired to be disclosed to others and the private information of the user. Inadvertent reproduction of private information may result in a trouble and therefore the reproduction of private information is better prevented.
The technique taking private situations into consideration when in use is disclosed, for example, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-330325 in which private information such as a schedule and addresses are linked with images to facilitate search. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-23015, on the other hand, discloses a technique used in a theme park or the like, in which the image management is simplified by adding ID information through a remote controller to a camera used by many persons. Other known techniques are disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-320668, in which editing data is prohibited or data are recorded by encryption to keep confidential private information contained in a digital camera the use of which is shared by many persons, and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-77700 employing measures (child lock) for protection from a malfunction which otherwise might be caused by the tampering by children.